The Wizarding Siege: India
by AnzalRK
Summary: History, as we know it, from the perspective of J.K Rowling's Wizarding World. Discover the ties between two magical communities and be a part of the uprising against the Ministry Of Magic itself. Would include Grindelwald, Dumbledore in the future.
1. Chapter 1: Disputes

The Wizarding Siege

Chapter 1: Disputes

 _13th November, 1850_

 _The Ministry of Magic, Bengal._

WAND-SEARCH WARRANT ACT, 1850

The Sepoys (Indian Wizarding Law Enforcers) have been granted the right to search - forcefully if required - the homes of the lower class Wizarding families for any illegal possessions of a wand. Those who are denied the right to Wandlore, under the Restriction of Magic Act, if found in possession of a wand would strictly be liable to a prison sentence up to a time of about five years.

 _By the order of the Minister of Magic._

'Do you consider this prudent, Minister?' came the smooth voice of Arcturus Black, seated directly across from the Minister of Magic of India himself.

'Do you not, Black?' The Minister questioned, annoyed at the easygoing nature of the governor general seated in front of him.

'Indeed, I don't.' Said Black, twirling his wand absent mindedly, eyes fixated upon his correspondent.

The atmosphere in the office was tense. The Minister of India was known for his pride, and his ruthlessness to everyone who tended to threaten it.

The Sepoys were stationed just outside the office. The Minister did not trust any of the delegates from Britain. Black had come alone and his lack of fear was unnerving the Minister.

'Pray tell why?' The Minister inquired, as the pause became too long.

'To begin with, Minister, do you even think that your rule over your community is strong enough to overcome any rebellion? Your community mostly consists of what you have termed as lower class.'

He flattened his already impeccable hair and continued, 'While I wholeheartedly agree with your ideology, there still resides an uncanny opinion of mine which believes that your community is much stronger than your government. _You need our administration, Minister.'_

The Minister's face was red with anger by the end of his well rehearsed speech.

'We are no fools, Arcturus!' The Minister bellowed. The Sepoys flinched, Black did not. He merely gazed at the Minister as if he were an angry bowtruckle, which infuriated the Minister even more.

'I know of your intentions to seek a direct and full control over the Wizarding provinces of India! The Indian muggle community might have given themselves up to your imperial rule. But not us, we are not born to yield! We do not associate ourselves with the filthy muggles roaming our lands!'

Black stood up quietly and leveled his the Minister.

'You are a man of culture, Minister. But your pride would be the end of you. If I had it my way, I would have ordered my forces to destroy every inch of what your community has established in the last few centuries. For once, I agree with our muggle counterparts over the policy of conquering. I'd rather make you work for me, than work with you, Minister.' Black said and swept himself out of the office, leaving an infuriated Minister of Magic behind.


	2. Chapter 2: The Undead

**The Wizarding Siege**

 **Chapter 2: The Undead**

 _13th January, 1851_ , somewhere North-West.

'Hide it! They're coming!' came a frantic, hushed whisper from outside the room. "It's the Sepoys!"  
'Honestly, Amrit. I don't exactly understand all the fuss. We have a wand and we have trained ourselves well over the years. I think we should show them what we are capable of today.' spoke a voice from a small crack in the doorway.  
'Don't be a fool, Gaurav. Just grab the wand and escape from the back door. The Sepoys might be bright, but they won't suspect someone as poor as us to be in the possession of a wand. Go, now!'  
Silence descended. Amrit put his ears on the door and listened intently. Gaurav had better done as he had instructed him to. Twenty four year old Amrit glanced toward the front door of his house and waited.  
BANG  
'Open the doors! We are here in the name of the Minister!' came a high pitched voice from outside the door.  
Time for showdown. Amrit smirked.

* * *

'Outrageous, the way the government is handling the Community!' barked my father at the flustered Sepoys on the duty. The Sepoys had come to the Shoor residence, my house, under the new Amendment of the Ministry of Magic to search for any illegal possessions of a wand at my house. My brother, Gaurav and I had anticipated their arrival ever since we were informed about the new Wand Search Warrant Act.  
In many of the provinces of India, there had been a dire shortage of Wizards and Witches who studied and excelled at Wandlore. As a result, the making and trading of wands proved to be really expensive – both for the government and the commoners. An ideal Ministry would have devised innovative educational plans and reforms in order to tackle this scarcity. Our Ministry, on the other hand, considered it prudent to deprive the lower class Wizarding families of the right to Wandlore.  
According to the Basic Guidelines to The Ministry of Magic, anyone working as or under the Minister of Magic has to make sure that each and every one of the Magical citizens are in possession of a wand. They are also required to help the commoners financially if the need arises. Since a large concentration of the magical community in India had been racially discriminated and seen as unfit for cultivation of their magical abilities, they found it really hard to have a stable income. As a result, most of them were forcefully dependent on the Ministry of Magic to acquire a wand, which is the most suitable instrument to channel one's magic. This caused a significant decline in the Ministry's treasury. To tackle this problem, the newly elected Minister of Magic declared a government order in 1834 which stated that the lower class Wizarding families would be deprived of the right to Wandlore. This loopehole enabled the Ministry to not spend half of their funds on trying to buy wands for their community.  
Since 1834, only the Half-Bloods and the Pure-bloods were given the right to Wandlore and the rest of the Wizarding community in India cultivated their magic through much weaker and less stable instruments such as pitch-forks and poorly carved staffs.  
What neither the Ministry nor any of my family members, except Gaurav and I, knew was that we had been in possession of a wand since I was just five years old.  
In those days, we had no instrument to channel our magic, and we spent our childhood leading almost the same life as muggles.  
We were deep-neck in a forest and had found the wand half-buried in the rich soil. Consider it thievery, but we had grabbed it and had escaped faster than a Hippogriff set loose.  
And thus we had become the only possessors of a wand in our family and in about whole of the North-West.  
We often stayed up late; woke up early, the next morning and constantly worked harder and harder in order to grasp the concept of Magical education that had been off-limits to us.

'There is nothing outrageous in this. We are just doing what we are supposed to do.' One of the Sepoys, with a large mustache, spoke with a leveled and trained voice.

'You are supposed to protect your Magical community! Not become a puppet in the hands of the Minister of Magic!' My father barked, yet again. This is fun – as long as Gaurav doesn't do anything stupid.

'What is the matter here?' Came the crisp voice of a third man dressed in grey robes.  
'Why aren't you searching the interior of the house?' He addressed the two men.

'We were going to, sir. We're just informing the old man about the reason as to why we are here.' The smaller one spoke in a low voice.

'Then do it quickly.' The man in grey continued in a low voice, 'There are about forty three wizarding families in this town that we have to address. Do your duty, men.'  
He turned on his heel and left. The two Sepoys looked at each other.  
'Just do it.' One of them barked at the other.  
The smaller one kicked the door open (with great difficulty) and yelled, 'Accio Wand!'.  
Nothing happened. I laughed. The Sepoys looked at me with disdain and then exchanged glances. 'Is that all we're going to do?' The smaller one asked.  
'Look at the state of them.' He pointed to my shirtless abdomen and my father's tattered and shabby robes. 'Do they look like someone who would carry a wand with them? This is all we're going to do! We don't have enough time to waste on them!' Said the guy with a moustache and proceeded to leave. That was before my father blocked his way.

'Now, sir, who exactly do you think you are?' My father said, eyes wild and arms outstretched in an attempt to block the Sepoys' attempt to walk away.  
'Get out of my way, old man. Don't hurt yourself.' They warned. I realized that it would turn ugly if I didn't intervene any sooner. The Sepoys were known for their patience but they were a part of the racial hierarchy and any attempt to drag them down that chain would result in retaliation.  
I seized my father by his robes and struggled to pull him indoor.  
'Clever move, boy.' The Sepoy spat and left.  
Unfortunately the smaller one was left behind and once again became the focus of my father's rage.  
'DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?' My father roared.  
'You are Yogya Shoor – father of two, Amrit and Gaurav Shoor.' The smaller Sepoy spoke with much more confidence, his fingertips reaching out for his wand.  
'Yogya Shoor – that is my name!' My father said with a hint of madness in his eyes.  
'I am the same person who had helped the Ministry contain the loose Hungarian Horntail ten years ago! Without me wand! With just a staff, I contained him and helped your worthless badge keep their honor, you ungrateful...'  
I jumped in front of my father as the Sepoy pulled out his wand and pointed it to his chest.  
Several seconds passed till the Sepoy finally collected himself. He gave us a look of deepest loathing and muttered, 'Filthy mudbloods. What did you do with the cane you call a Staff, poke them?' He spat and left. I turned around, panting and looked at my father. He had tears in the corner of his eyes.  
I hugged him and whispered, 'I promise that it's going to be fine. Someday, someday…'

* * *

 _15_ _th_ _January, 1851. Ministry of Magic, India_

'Sir, according to the executive of the Investigational Department of the Sepoys, we have acquired only three illegal wands all across the different provinces.'

'To be honest, I expected that my reforms would leave none of them in the possession of a wand.' The Minister frowned.

The other occupant of the room kept quiet.  
'Where are the ones who have disobeyed me?' The Minister enquired, with no hint of amusement or interest.

'They are being questioned by the authorities as we speak.'  
'Are they being tortured.' The Minister asked.  
'Only if required, Minister.'

The Minister nodded, 'Call in the Press. I need to address the nation about the wrongdoings of those who have disobeyed and the success of my reforms. I would not be complacent. This community is unpredictable. I need them to keep me in their good books. Also bring in the best trained Sepoys to the conference. I like my protection, thank you very much.'

'Yes, Minister.'

* * *

'…in the years to come, the magical community of our nation would know this reform as the one that kept their pride alive. You call this segregation? I call this a step towards advancement. Survival of the fittest is what evolves human beings into the better persons they hold within. It is for the Ministry to uncap their potential and this is exactly what I aspire to do!'

The Minister finished his one hour long press conference and proceeded to leave.  
'How did it sound?' The Minister enquired, his voice purposeful.  
'It was really goo-'  
'Perfectly delivered, Minister. I could detect no flaws or hatred in your words.' Cut in the smooth voice of Arcturus Black.  
'Arcturus.' The Minister greeted stiffly, 'To what do I owe this brilliant young gentleman the pleasure?'  
'The same old Wizarding business, Minister. It seems that the Malfoy family is need of another one of your delegates to – ah – attend to their personal chores.' He continued on with the same smoothness.  
'Are you mad!' The Minister began in a hushed whisper, 'Have not I told you that such business should only be discussed in my office?'

'Ah yes, I had forgotten. Forgotten that you are not merely as powerful to do as you wish, even after being the Minister of Magic. You have to do it within the confines of your special reserve that you call an office. Forgive me, Minister.' He sneered

The Minister ignored him and continued on towards his office. Black followed him, amusement itched within every inch of his face.

'You do not have to follow me. Your job to deliver the message is over. I would address the Malfoys myself.' The Minister spoke haughtily.

'Oh but there are several other things that I need to discuss, Minister.'  
'And they would be..?'

'The Minister of Magic of our nation has decided to intervene on your lack of… gesture should we say, towards the lower class wizarding families. They are not quite a fan of your recent – innovations – as you say… They have made pleas for you to reorient all the governmental policies and revise your Constitution. Although this is just a formal proposal at this point, the play of pride could very well turn this into a fully-fledged war in no time at all. You are not the only one with a pride, Minister. I may or may not have something to do with this.' Black barked a laugh.

'Leave.' The Minister ordered, his voice colder than ever.  
'I'm sorry?' Black had lost his laughter.  
'You heard me.'  
The Minister stopped. So did Black. And so did the dozen Sepoys surrounding them, wands pointing at Black.  
Black gave a look of pity to the Minister and left.  
But not before announcing, 'You would have to empty your office before the next term, Minister. I shall make sure of it. I shall make sure that your office is turned into a shattered ruin.'

At this very moment, somewhere far off, an old man could be seen wielding a long Staff with very precise movements, blasting off the rocks with unbelievable accuracy.  
The Ministry of Magic of India was in trouble.


	3. Chapter 3: Reckoning Comes Beckoning

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **Reckoning Comes Beckoning**

 _North Indian Forests, (Today's Dudhwa National Park)_

 _28th January, 1851_

'Amrit, no!' The birds, once happily perched on the trees, scattered away as Gaurav's girly scream resonated throughout as far as the woods stretched.

'Stop being a pansy, Gaurav. It was only natural for one of us to splinch. I'm glad it's only your bicep muscles this time.' Amrit, the logical one, soothed.

'Only my bicep muscles? Thank you, brother. Let me heal and I'll injure only your ugly face.' Gaurav fumed.

Gaurav winced as Amrit poured drops of Dittany on his injured hand.

'Where did you find this anyway?' Gaurav asked, eyeing the corked liquid warily.

Amrit grinned.

'Nicked it from the Manali Market as soon as I learnt how to Apparate.'

Gaurav frowned, 'How exactly did you manage to steal it from the stock?'

'Easiest nick of the century to be honest. The Manali marketeers would never expect low class Wizarding families to approach them in any way, let alone attempt to steal their stocks. No protective charm, except for a one that repels the Muggles.' Amrit said pompously.

Gaurav rolled his eyes as Amrit started clotting his wound.

They then lay on the ground, lazily admiring their wand, which lay untouched on the soft ground.

'Honestly, this wand is the best thing that could have happened to us.' Gaurav declared.

He frowned, 'Although, I wouldn't say no to a separate wand for both of us.'

He eyed the sky hopefully.

Amrit rolled his eyes.

Gaurav smacked his brother on the head.

'What's with you these days?' He accused, pointing a bruised finger towards Amrit. 'You're not yourself. You think a lot and you rarely ever think. It's freaking me out.' Gaurav pretended to shudder.

Amrit, however, did not appear any more amused than he already was. He was still deep in thought when he spoke, 'Noticed anything strange about our father lately?' He enquired, curious about his brother's opinion.

Gaurav pretended to think hard, 'Besides his dressing sense?'

That earned him a slap from Amrit.

Gaurav snickered yet again, much to Amrit's annoyance.

'He's fine, Amrit. His pride is wounded because apparently the Ministry is supposed to be forever indebted to him because he fought a dragon once.' Gaurav rolled his eyes.

'He's cultivating his dueling skills once again, Gaurav. You know he was a master duelist back in his days. I'm worried for him.'

Gaurav sighed, 'You don't have to keep an eye on him for that, Amrit. I just think he's trying to convince himself. Nothing more than that. Come on, now. Tell me about the witch who hexed you yesterday. Sounds like a tale worthy of my precious time.'

Amrit, however, was not convinced.

And rightly so.

* * *

 _Later that evening,_

The Minister entered his office tiredly after yet another debate with the Council on whether the Wand Law offenders should be imprisoned or executed.

His mood did not improve any further as he spotted Arcturus Black seated already in his office, directly across from the chair allotted to the Minister of Magic.

'Arcturus, one would've thought you would stop bothering me any longer after the crystal clear warning I gave you two weeks ago.' The Minister greeted, seating himself and making a dangerous eye contact with the man seated in front of him, just a plush table separating the two representatives.

Black set down his cup of tea and twirled his wand absent mindedly, 'As a matter of fact, Minister, it only made me want to visit this little cozy office more often than I already used to.'

The Minister ignored his lack of respect and spoke in a calm voice, 'I am a busy man, Black, unlike you. Perhaps you should only visit me as a petty representative that you are, not as a guest.'

Black's face fell, 'Oh, I rather enjoyed the daily dose of this brilliant tea that your Sepoys are so adept at making. But I always have pretenses, Minister. Let's say I'm here to discuss about your investigation on how the offenders acquired a wand even after you passed a… very strong legislation.' He finished with a snicker.

The Minister surprisingly did not express any indications of his displeasure.

'What you need to understand, Black, is that we, here at the Indian Ministry Of Magic, know how to complete the tasks designated to us without anyone constantly reminding us to get back at it. We're making progress and as soon as we extract information that could be considered relevant to you or your community, we would inform you.'

Black pondered over this.

'Or you could just… borrow my experienced assistance.'

'Absolutely not, we already have talke-'

The rest of his sentence died out as several Sepoys barged in the room, followed by the Commander of the Sepoy Forces.

'Bad news, Minister.' He spoke urgently. 'You need to stay inside this building. We're activating the security protocols. We're under attack.'

'Under attack? By who?' The Minister enquired, surprised.

The Commander hesitated, 'S-some.. wild hippogriffs have managed to break in. We're trying to neutralize them.'

Black barked a laughter.

'I am sure you'd require my assistance neutralizing a couple or birds, Commander. Let's go.'

'You're not going anywhere, Black. You'll stay in this office, with these Sepoys.'

The Commander nodded approvingly, 'We would escort you to the Security Chambers, Minister. I believe that a Wizard or a Witch had helped these creatures break in. An Evacuation Team has been set up to get the civilians out of the harm's way while we stabilize the situation and catch the culprit. Any further instructions?'

The Minister shook his head, cast a warning glare towards Black and left the room, escorted by the Commander and his forces.

A few Sepoys remained, however, accompanied by Arcturus Black sipping his tea, much to their displeasure.

* * *

Most of the stray hippogriffs had been stabilized after just fifteen minutes of encounter between the forces and the offenders, without any significant causality.

The Minister of Magic was safely locked inside a very magical Security Chambers, designed especially for the Minister of Magic in times like these.

Pretty soon the last of the escaped hippogriffs were neutralized and were contained by the expert Magizoologists.

Despite the lack of casualties, the entire Council and the other workers at the Ministry were pretty shaken by the sudden appearance of the hostile magical creatures.

By nightfall, it had seemed that the danger was completely evaded as the Sepoys reported that they could not find any more stray creatures. The Commander, however, was not convinced. He suggested that the Minister still be locked in the Chambers while he investigate the matter himself.

Neither the Minister nor Black, who was still forced to be seated in the Minister's office accompanied by some Sepoys, were happy at this progres, yet the Minister obliged.

By midnight, the Council and the other civilians had been dismissed and the only residents that remained were the Sepoy forces on duty, Black, the Commander and the Minister of Magic who was still safely residing in the Security Chambers.

The Commander was adamant in his belief that some external forces had helped the creatures to break in. He had accused Black of treachery but Black had merely smirked and stated that he would, alone, cause more damage to their Ministry than the whole community of hippogriffs combined.

One hour after the evacuation, the Commander reluctantly stopped his investigation and let the Minister out.

As the Minister packed the documents in his office, muttering profanities under his breath with Black smirking behind him, the first Sepoy on patrol duty was taken down. On the wall near his death body was a symbol, never seen before. It was the logo of the Ministry of Magic, turned upside down, so that it resembled a 'W', spawn from the very blood of the Sepoy who had fallen.

Neither the Minister, nor any of the forces were unaware of this brutal murder for about fifteen minutes. But as the body was discovered, the suspicions of the Commander turned into a belief.

Meanwhile in those fifteen minutes, three more Sepoys had been dropped to death at specific coordinates throughout the darkened streets of the Ministry.

The searching parties had been established and the highly trained Magical Operators had been set up at strategic locations to take down the offender.

This time, however, the Minister believed that he would be safer outside of the confines of the special reserve.

The Commander then reluctantly assigned a special horde of Sepoys to escort the Minister to the Port key from where he could safely be transported back to his manor.

Meanwhile, more and more Sepoys were being killed until the Commander finally instructed the forces to patrol in groups.

Only a few Sepoys were killed by magical curses or spells. The investigators noted that most of the deaths were caused by knives and other sharpened muggle objects which made the Commander sure that the offender was somehow sneaking up to the Sepoys.

No more Sepoys died after that but an explosion underwent the main building from where the Minister had departed and as a result, most of the forces scrambled in that direction, not flanking and covering the area where the Minister currently was, walking towards the Port Key, surrounded by a dozen nervous Sepoys.

Smoke rose from the building as the debris covered the ground, marking that whoever cast the explosive spell was truly a master. Sepoys scrambled in, trying to get a glimpse of the offender.

The Commander, with a start noticed Black's absence in the main building and his eyes widened as he interpreted the strategy of the infiltrator.

'SEPOYS, ABANDON PRIORITIES. FIRST CLASS SQUAD, WITH ME, TO THE MINISTER OF MAGIC AT ONCE!' The Commander shouted as about twenty heavily cloaked Sepoys followed him out of the burning building.

An explosive noise boomed towards their North and they darted towards that direction, for it was the place where the Minister had aspired to go, the Port Key Chambers, a wide-open space where different port keys were registered to and accounted for the high level officials of the Ministry.

The Commander dragged himself through the chaotic streets of the Ministry, his heart pounding and mouth dry.

The only thing he and the surrounding Sepoys noticed when they reached the Port Key Chambers was the Minister's white and partially bloodied face, Black's calm and composed structure, the unorganized body parts of twelve other Sepoys on the ground and another unknown man kneeling on the ground, his eyes unfocused but very much alive.

Black did not face them but the Commander knew that he was aware of their presence.

'SEPOYS' He roared. 'Detain this man!'

He pointed towards the kneeling man.

The Sepoys obliged but the Commander did not, neither did he lower his wand, which was strictly aimed towards Black.

But one signal from the Minister confirmed that Black was, in fact, not the offender and he lowered his wand.

Black bent down to whisper something to the Minister and left without a backward glance. A black day for the Ministry, and the Commander wanted his own time with the offender.

* * *

 _A few moments earlier,_

The Minister of Magic walked towards the Port key Chambers hastily, wanting to get out of the harm's way as soon as possible. The Sepoys would eventually neutralize the offender, he was sure of that. Perhaps the offender would finally get rid of Black for him.

The Minister finally entered the wide grounds that played a host to a number of magic port keys, accompanied by the dutiful Sepoys surrounding him.

He was halfway across the grounds when an invisible force pushed him sideways, due to which he was separated several feet from the Sepoys.

The Minister did not dare raise his head as a blast resonated throughout the concrete grounds.

When he finally did climb to his feet, his face was pale with horror. Where once stood the Sepoys in all their glory, was now a huge crater and bits of body parts were scattered throughout the Chamber.

Behind that chamber stood, high, tall and proud, Yogya Shoor, the father of Amrit and Gaurav, an elongated and elegant staff in his hands.

'Yogya! What is the meaning of this?' The Minister demanded.

'So you do remember my name, don't you Minister? I remember your brethren coming and asking me to help, on their knees. Vulnerable and broken. And now you steal the same magic that helped me save your community from that horntail? No, Minister. I'll recreate history today as you kneel before me. I took down an entire Ministry by myself. Feeling proud of your first class pure-blooded wizarding families?'

The man jerked his staff and the Minister was on the ground once again, coughing blood, his wand a million light years away from him.

'Kneel, Minister. Kneel - and I will make it less painful.' Yogya teased.

The Minister did not oblige and used every ounce of strength he had to push himself from off the ground. He got up in a crouched position and eyed his opponent. The only plan he had was to distract him enough so that the troops could be reinforced. However, Yogya Shoor was no more in a playful mood.

'Goodbye, Minister of Magic.' The man whispered as he twirled his staff and channeled his hatred towards the Minister.

The Minister closed his eyes and braced himself as the ground shook violently underneath him.

The Minister opened his eyes but his vision was clouded. As the smoke cleared, he spotted the kneeling figure of Yogya Shoor, disbelief etched upon the offender's face.

The Minister turned back and there, not a single speck on his impeccable black robes, was Arcturus Black himself, his wand raised and his expression murderous.

The Minister heard footsteps and heaved a sigh of relief as the Commander along with his forces entered the scene.

'SEPOYS!' The Minister flinched as Black's voice cut through the silence like a hurricane along a serene shore. 'Detain this man.'

The Sepoys, who were only a subject to authority to the Minister and the Commander, did not dare disobey the crystal clear command of Arcturus Black.

Black bent down to the Minister's level and whispered, 'Twenty six Sepoys have been killed because of your ignorance, Minister. Twenty six families destroyed. I would have gladly allowed the talented man to kill you. But there are many reasons why I did not. Heed it.'

Black then left the scene without a backward glance, the unfocused stare of Yogya Shoor, following him.

Neither the Minister, nor even Black, could know about the culmination of events that threatened to follow as Amrit's curious voice filled his empty home.

'Papa?'


	4. Chapter 4: Dawn

**Chapter 4:**  
 **Dawn**

 _29th January, 1851_

The serene hum of the raindrops as they cascaded gently down the streets of Bengal contrasted the mayhem below as children and adults, unified, pushed each other, hands wrestling in desperation to catch a loaf of bread that was being thrown on to them by the British officials.

Amidst the chaos, lay on the ground a soaked newspaper, hurried footprints inscribed on every inch of its surface. A small boy peered down the now empty road, trying to scavenge down whatever remains of food the street had to offer. He was left disappointed as he spotted nothing but a newspaper sprawled on the ground, rippling against the winds, protesting as if it never belonged in that particular street. The boy raced towards it and snached it, revealing the wore out front page. The boy didn't know how to read. But he did know when something was moving. And the angry crowd in the picture was - pushing against an invisible force, anguish bright in their eyes. The boy's heart pounded against his chest and he released his grip on the paper, letting it soar away with the wind, revealing the largest article.

 **Yogya Shoor proven guilty, Warrants Death sentence:**

The newspaper unfurled against the force of the howling wind to reveal the blank, confused expression of an old man with dark eyes, frail cheekbones and pale, dirty hair, bound in shackles of a bright light, blinking up at them. Below the picture, the article read,

 _Yogya Shoor, 86, most famous for his contribution to the victory against the loose Hungarian Horntail, was last night revealed to be a vicious intruder to the walls of the Ministry, killing a horde of Sepoys and endangering the lives of countless with his scheme to assassinate the Minister of Magic, the real events declared classified._

 _Young representative from the British Ministry of Magic, Arcturus Black was the one to capture the intruder. An insider confirmed that the Minister was in mortal danger as Black had arrived. Black issued a bold statement against the current regime, stating:_  
 ** _'This is indeed a disgrace for the Ministry. A loyal veteran such as Yogya has been pushed to such a limit that he was driven to attack what could be his descendents in arms.'_**

 _The controversial statement was followed by a wave of protests and counter protests across the country, some of which were violent. The most damaging being at the gates of Ministry itself, where a large section of the underprivileged has gathered to protest against the recent reforms by the Ministry which supposedly was the main reason that fuelled last night's intrusion._

Below the moving portrait showed a large mass gathered in front of large bronze gates, chanting words of protest. The cameraman, situated on top of a large monument inside the walls of the Ministry shook with each strike to the main gates. A regiment of Sepoys stood firm inside the gates, awaiting orders as another group flanked them, whispering enchantments to solidify the gates' hold.

 _The Minister of Magic has released a brief counter statement against Black's accusations:_  
 ** _'The day someone stands up to justify the actions of a mass murderer is enforced into a high ranking post in the Ministry of Magic is indeed a dark day.'_**  
 _He had said, avoiding any further queries to the series of events that occurred last night._

 _For a larger account of the rivalry between the Minister and Black, refer to pg. 4_

Another roar swept past the crowd as a wave of spells bounced against the magical protection of the gates to the Ministry. The crowd had thinned considerably after the initial retaliation by the Sepoys. A series of stunning spells had been cast from the watchtowers inside the Ministry walls, throwing the sea of unorganized protestors into an absolute chaos. After just a few minutes, most of the protesters has backpedalled in alarm, not wanting to face any further wrath of the Ministry. Barely twenty or thirty Wizards, dressed in worn out black robes and wielding some kind of a staff or a hand carved stick stood firm in their ranks, rebelling against the occasional magnified warning from inside the Ministry, 'Retreat, fellow Witches and Wizards, and we shall be lenient. Disobey and you would be breaking the laws, leaving us with nothing but harsh decisions.'

Dutifully ignoring each and every word of the spokeswizard, the crowd continued to push against the gates, demanding a trial for Yogya Shoor and the abolishment of the Restriction to Magic Act. Amidst the sea of black robes, two teenagers yelled insults at the Minister of Magic, eyes shining with barely suppressed rage. Amrit and Gaurav Shoor had decided to join the protest. Gaurav pounded on the gates with his bare hands, screaming in agony as the magical protection glowed an angry red at his touch. Amrit pulled him back gently as he struggled in his arms, his curses drowned out by the anguished roars of protesters behind him.

'Easy there, brother. We can't get carried away while our Father's in danger.'

'Bastards,' Amrit's voice was hollow and bitter, 'our father is innocent!' He yelled at the gates as a volley of stunning spells flew past them and clashed with the gates, producing an angry steaming hiss as the two jets collided.

Amrit was glad that Gaurav didn't have the wand with him. Despite the circumstances, he was reluctant to showcase to the Ministry that they had broken the law, which would result in nothing but more trouble for him and his family. And Gaurav was infamous for his recklessness.

A jet of grey light issued from a staff wielder beside them and thundered against the gates. Watchtowers trembled, Amrit struggled to stay on his feet and the Sepoys' ranks wavered inside the office. The magical enchantment were left un-fuelled as the Enchanters inside lost their balance. This was the cue.

Amrit tackled a very confused Gaurav and pinned him to the ground. They were the closest to the gates. Gusts of hot winds and bright flashes passed over Amrit's head as the first wave of spells attempted to break through the doors. The ground trembled once again, spreading chaos both inside and outside the Ministry of Magic. Gaurav tried to break free of his hold but he held on tight, knowing that the consequences would be anything but good for them if they joined in the fray. Gaurav yelled something but the voices of the protestors and the Ministry officials alike were so loud that it was hard to converse properly.

One of the watch towers inside the Ministry walls glowed a bright red and a jet of grey was blasted towards the protesters.

BOOM!

The blow was not fatal, but it worked for the Ministry. The protesters wavered, some sprawled on the ground while the others looked dazed. A huge crater, the size of a watchtower hissed amidst their ranks. Amrit's head spun but he noticed a movement in front of them.

The Bronze Gates, the entrance to the Ministry of Magic, opened slowly and dangerously, as if the magical aura around it itself was angry at the protesters. Behind them stood a legion of Sepoys, the highly trained Wizarding Enforcers, in dark robes and stern expressions, their wands raised. Amrit's heart sank as he tried to break free from dizziness.  
The Ministry of Magic has had enough.  
Amrit struggled to his feet and dragged his elder brother with him, who was still shaking, whether from dizziness or rage, he didn't know.

The Sepoys assembled in small groups and took a tactical advantage to their dominance in numbers. The protesters were outnumbered roughly five to one. Amrit tried to run as fast as he could, which was not much while carrying a very dazed elder brother on his shoulder. Around him, the protesters tried to counter attack in vain. The Sepoys were too good and too many for them. Flashes were exchanged and protesters taken down with each movement of the wands.  
Amrit could only think of one possible route of escape - to the closest muggle area.  
The Ministry of Magic of India had its foundations in a secluded area of Bengal with heavy repellents and enchantments within a safe radius around it. In the center of that circle of magic, stood the main building catering the Minister's office and several other departments. The main Ministry lands inside the fortifications resembled a medieval bronze city, with tall and glamorous structures greeting the stoned streets.  
Escaping the radius and then blending with a muggle area with a dozen Sepoys hot on trail sounded almost impossible, but it was the best he could do for his unconscious brother and a father who had a death sentence to his name.

'There are too many to be bested with a stunning spell,' Amrit yelled to his fellow protesters 'Use the blasting spell instead!'  
Amrit knew that the they were hopelessly outnumbered. They didn't stand a chance in an open battle. Most of the protesters were retreating as well, swinging their staffs madly to deflect the stunning spells. The Sepoys were all equipped with a wand, another clear indication that they stood no chance against them. But it was the home to the Minister of Magic himself. The Sepoys would be more inclined towards defending the premises if it were ever threatened.  
Sure enough, a volley of blasting spells shook the ground as the protesters retreated. The Sepoys, not expecting the sudden outburst, broke free of their ranks in order to evade the blast. The next hour was a blur. The protesters blasted the walls and the stoned entrance of the Ministry with a renewed vigour while the Sepoys tried their best to form a magical barricade between them. A few reinforcements arrived, obviously hinted that the the tides had turned.  
As for Amrit, he as fast as he could, Gaurav conscious enough to hold his ground, panting beside him.  
Soon the bright flashes and the roar of battle eclipsed behind them as they entered a muggle lane, bustling with an afternoon energy. Gaurav gripped his side, doubled up, still not speaking a word. Amrit scanned his surroundings. After an hour, he was exhausted, both mentally and physically. This was the closest muggle area to the Ministry premises, the magical properties starting in the dense woods behind him. They were standing on the side of a narrow lane. Three British muggle officials leaned lazily beside a general store, laughing and smoking. A group of children played a stick game in front of a small house. The neighbourhood was dominated by the market directly in front of him, bustling with tourists and natives alike. Amrit heaved a sigh and glanced back at the woods. A cold hand gripped his heart as he noticed a shadow in the woods. They were being chased.

Amrit grabbed his brother's hand and pulled him across the street towards a dark, deserted alley.  
He estimated at least five Sepoys on their tail. They weaved in and out of the Labyrinth of alleys, each darker and narrower than the last. Just when Amrit started to feel they had lost them, he noticed a shadow crouching behind a pile of garbage. He seized Gaurav by the robes and crouched down. His hands slipped inside his robes and he equipped himself with the wand. He aimed it towards the shadow and whispered, 'Expulso.'  
A jet of grey and an explosion followed. Amrit realised he had alerted the other Sepoys. He motioned for Gaurav to follow him, who was grinning at the unconscious form of the fallen sepoy. Another hour followed but Amrit was not convinced that they were alone. Even the barest rustling of the newspapers and an occasional chirp of the birds made him feel uneasy. His muscles protested against his movement, his mind demanded sleep and his anger demanded revenge. The sun cast eerie shadows in the dark alleys, which were almost inescapable. Amrit was sure that they were lost. He couldn't apparate either. The Sepoys had probably cast an anti apparition charm along a particular radius. His only hope was to lay low till the matters cooled down.

He stumbled and made a right turn, revealing the narrowest and the darkest lane of the day.  
Joy, he thought. He glanced back at Gaurav, which proved to be a fatal mistake.  
'Expelliarmus!' Another voice yelled from the shadows. Amrit turned and barely cast the shield charm between them. But the force of the opposing spell was enough to send backwards. Gaurav staggered and hit his head on nearest wall, collapsing immediately.

Amrit regained his wits and waved his wand at the pile of garbage surrounding them. Bits of parchment and excreta followed his movement and launched themselves at the Sepoy, who counter attacked with a gust of wind from his wand, urging the waste to maneuver out of his way. They exchanged a few blows but the Sepoy was too good for Amrit. His body was aching. His mind couldn't direct the flow of magic.  
He shot a stunning spell which Amrit somehow deflected.  
'Expelliarmus' The Sepoy yelled immediately. Amrit did not have the time to cast a shield charm. He tried to dodge his way out of the flash of red but the spell caught him on the shoulder. He felt an invisible force flowing down his arm and finally yanking the wand out of his firm grasp. The wand clattered on the ground behind him.

'Be glad. You would be united with the murderer who killed my brother. They are going to torture you, Shoor.' He spat.

He waved his wand, prepared to mutter an incantation when something happened.

'Avada Kedavra.' Whispered a rough voice behind him.

The cold jet of light soared through the wind, weak, pale and slow, yet fuelled by hatred. The sepoy could easily avoid it, but the element of surprise overwhelmed him. He crumbled to the floor, eyes wide with surprise.

Amrit turned around and saw the caster of the killing curse. His brother, Gaurav Shoor, still on the floor, his head bleeding. Gaurav didn't smile or laugh. He didn't show any remorse either. He silently got up to his feet and staggered towards the life force he had destroyed. He bent down and picked up the fallen wand, his wish of acquiring a wand fulfilled.

He examined his new weapon and smiled coldly, 'Perfect,' He whispered, eyes fixated on the wand.

Amrit was too stunned to speak. He had seen his brother use a killing curse on someone. He was thankful his own life had been saved in the process but he couldn't wrap his head around the fact that his brother was now a murderer.

Gaurav wordlessly moved towards the wall next to him.

'Incendio.' He whispered to no one as flames curled up around the end of his wand. He waved his wand around, drawing a figure with the burnt scotch marks on the wall.  
The mark that resembled the alphabet W. The mark that had been rumored to be cast permanently on the walls of the Ministry of Magic by Yogya Shoor, their father. The symbol of Ministry of Magic, turned upside down.

Amrit watched in horror as Gaurav worded out the cold truth he wanted to avoid.

'We are at war, brother.'


End file.
